Recommendations from the Sierra Club for managing Giant Sequoia

Abstract

The giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum [Lindl.] Buchholz) groves in their natural setting are one of the outstanding scenic features of the southern Sierra Nevada. These groves where they have survived should be man-aged to protect their natural values and to restore former natural conditions wherever possible. Groves that are essentially intact should have the whitewoods removed that have encroached as a result of over-protection from fire. Pines and firs should be carefully removed to avoid damage to giant sequoias. Once natural conditions are restored, prescribed burning should be the primary technique used to maintain these conditions. Groves that have only a few specimen trees left or only second growth should be inventoried and a large percentage of them selected for restoration, a goal that may not be reached for several decades. The giant sequoia species should be investigated for its timber value, and if feasible, planted and harvested for commercial purposes in the general forest zone.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the workshop on management of giant sequoia; May 24-25, 1985; Reedley, California

Citation

Fontaine, Joseph. 1986. Recommendations from the Sierra Club for managing Giant Sequoia. In: Weatherspoon, C. Phillip; Iwamoto, Y. Robert; Piirto, Douglas D., technical coordinators. Proceedings of the workshop on management of giant sequoia; May 24-25, 1985; Reedley, California. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-95. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture: p. 24-25